Developing Story
China's ASML Lithography Tool Stockpile & US Export Ban Calls
A Washington research report found Chinese-owned semiconductor fabs had stockpiled an estimated 343 immersion DUV lithography systems by early 2026, spurring former US officials to call for a complete export ban on such tools to China.
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## Overview
Chinese semiconductor plants have amassed hundreds of immersion lithography machines worth billions of dollars in recent years, prompting former US officials to urge Washington and its allies to shut down further exports (SCMP, October 2).
## Key Figures
Chinese-owned fabs had acquired an estimated 343 immersion deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography systems by early 2026, according to a report published in late September by the Centre for Technology & Statecraft (CTS), a Washington research group established in August (SCMP, October 2).
## Policy Implications
The report's findings are fueling calls for a complete export ban on lithography tools to China, intensifying the broader US-China tech war over semiconductor manufacturing equipment. This stockpiling strategy suggests Chinese fabs anticipated tightening export controls and sought to build a buffer of critical tools before further restrictions take effect.
## Context
This development sits within the broader landscape of ASML's already-constrained sales to China and the ongoing debate over the effectiveness of existing export controls, as well as China's parallel efforts to develop indigenous lithography capability without EUV technology.
## What to Watch
Whether the US and allied governments (Netherlands, Japan) move toward a comprehensive ban on DUV lithography exports to China, and how Chinese fabs utilize the stockpiled equipment amid intensifying restrictions.